The ICC World T20 2016 has come done to two teams, packed with power-hitters, battling it out for the title. In a way, it’s fitting for a format that was designed for such players to flourish. Their journeys to the final have been quite contrasting.

That they come from the same group and played on similar pitches for most part of the tournament also held their batsmen in good stead. England were downed by West Indies in their first game despite posting a competitive total. The batsmen found their mojo in a mammoth chase against South Africa and from then on, they got past tough battles against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka before walloping New Zealand in the first semi-final in Delhi.

On the other hand, West Indies cruised through their first three games before a shock defeat against Afghanistan that threatened to derail their journey. But that was quickly forgotten when they overpowered hosts and favorites India in the second semi-final.

Both teams have won the tournament before. West Indies have a core group of players who played an important part in their first win in 2012. This could be the last hurrah for a few of them in this format because of various issues including aching bones and painful fights with the board

England are unlikely to tinker with an eleven that has given them success thus far. Their bowlers have been overshadowed by the exploits of their batsmen but they too have pulled up their socks in crunch situations. Chris Jordan is one of the most potent exponents of the yorker and he along with the rest of the pace battery have belied tradition by proving to be successful in subcontinent pitches. Although the pitch at Eden Gardens has shown to be one that aids turn, a factor that might be tempted to include an extra spinner.

West Indies’ enviable batting prowess has carried them to their second World T20 final. Their brand of T20 cricket is trend-setting in a lot of ways, right from the time they began playing the game. They have achieved enviable success with their relentless attack formula. They are better equipped than England in the spin department as well – with Samuel Badree and Sulieman Benn. Their bowlers too have done a reasonable job of restricting oppositions but once again, in the final the onus will be on their batsmen to carry them through.

That they have overcome all that to stand at this stage is commendable, but it might not be enough to overshadow the off-field problems. Nothing less than a victory would allow them to breathe easy and feel vindicated. England, on the other hand, have been clinical in their approach. While West Indies pack a team filled with emotional stars, England have pursued horses for course and excelled in the process.

Their approach has been based on one of learning from the other sides when it comes to playing limited-overs cricket. Only a year ago, they were shown up to be way behind the pack but an overhaul in the background is now yielding good results on the field. The change in mentality to aid their big-hitters with clutter-free minds has also paid dividends. If they do win, it will be a vindication of sorts for them too, against all those who had written them and their approach off.

Squads:

England: Eoin Morgan, Sam Billings, Liam Dawson, Alex Hales, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Reece Topley, David Willey, Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler, Chris Jordan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Liam Plunkett

West Indies: Darren Sammy, Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Denesh Ramdin, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Carlos Brathwaite, Ashley Nurse, Johnson Charles, Evin Lewis, Lendl Simmons